IP Library Granted Patent US 7,853,440
Granted Patent B2
US 7,853,440 · App. 11/684,019 · Granted Dec 14, 2010

Method for large-scale modelling and simulation of carbonate wells stimulation

Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,853,440
App. No.
11/684,019
Granted
Dec 14, 2010
Kind
B2
Abstract

Method for modeling acidification within a porous medium as a result of the injection of an acid. A dual-medium model is constructed, considering a first sub-medium favorable to dissolution breakthroughs and a second sub-medium not favorable to dissolution breakthroughs. For each one of these sub-media, a metric-scale description of the acid transport, of the sub-medium and acid mass conservation and of the acid transfer from one sub-medium to the other sub-medium is achieved. This dual-medium model is then initialized from experimental calibrations. Finally, acidification of the medium is modelled by means of this dual-medium model.

Claims (21)

1. A method for optimizing acid injection parameters by modelling acidification within a porous medium as a result of acid injection, wherein said medium is represented by a computer-implemented dual-medium model, the method comprising:

a) constructing said dual-medium model in a computer

by considering a first sub-medium favourable to dissolution breakthroughs, and a second sub-medium that is not favourable to dissolution breakthroughs,

by carrying out, for each one of said sub-media, a description of acid transport, mass conservation of said sub-medium and mass conservation of said acid, the description being specified in meters, and

by describing an acid transfer from one sub-medium to the other sub-medium, by means of equations obtained by carrying out a volume averaging, specified in meters, of equations describing a propagation of an acid in a single-medium model specified in centimeters, said equations comprising a dissolution term depending on a norm of a local acid velocity and on a mean porosity specified in meters;

b) initializing said dual-medium model from one or more experimental calibrations;

c) modelling said acidification, by means of execution of said dual-medium model, by determining physical parameters representative of said porous medium and physical parameters relative to the acid injected;

d) optimizing acid injection parameters by using said physical parameters.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said physical parameters representative of said porous medium are selected, for each one of the sub-media, from among the following parameters: the mean porosity, the permeability specified in meters, and the mean total pressure.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said physical parameters relative to the acid are selected, for each one of the sub-media, from among the following parameters: the mean acid concentration, the mean Darcy's velocity.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said dissolution term is defined as the product of a mean acid concentration, specified in meters, by a coefficient depending on a local acid velocity.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said dissolution term is defined as the product of a parameter by the divergence of a product between an acid concentration, a fractional flow function and a velocity vector.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said one or more experimental calibrations are based on simulations in scales smaller than in meters.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said one or more experimental calibrations are based on constant-flow acid injection surveys conducted on a sample of said medium.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said porous medium is a carbonate reservoir through which a well is drilled, acid injection being carried out to stimulate hydrocarbon production through said well, and wherein optimum acid injection parameters are determined by carrying out the following stages:

a) constructing a grid of said well and of its neighbourhood;

b) defining initial acid injection parameters;

c) determining, by modelling the acidification due to acid injection, at least the following physical parameters representative of said reservoir: a porosity and a permeability of said reservoir after acid injection ;

d) simulating the well production according to said porosity and to said permeability by means of a reservoir simulator ;

e) modifying said initial parameters and repeating stage c) until a production maximum is obtained.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein said initial parameters are selected from among at least one of the following parameters: acid injection rate, initial injection velocity, the volume of acid injected, the concentration of the acid used for stimulation, zones to be treated.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 29, 2007
From: COHEN, CHARLES EDOUARD; DIDIER, DING; BAZIN, BRIGITTE; QUINTARD, MICHEL
To: INSTITUT FRANCAIS DU PETROLE
Reel/Frame 019498/0837 →
Priority Claims (1)
FR 06 02139 · Mar 10, 2006 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20070244681A1 · Oct 18, 2007